Recognizing the importance of strategic communication, the High-level Group for the Modernisation of Official Statistics endorsed a two-year priority project – the Strategic Communications Framework for Statistical Institutions.  The project is intended to complement the “Recommendations for Promoting, Measuring and Communicating the Value of Official Statistics”[1] and supports the “Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics.”[2]

Phase I of the project, completed in 2018 and endorsed by the Conference of European Statisticians in June 2019, resulted in the production of the “Strategic Communications Framework for Statistical Institutions – Phase I”.  The purpose of the framework is to guide statistical offices in the development of a strategic approach to protect, enhance and promote the organization’s reputation and brand.  Phase I is intended to help statistical organizations maximize their corporate image through proactive user consultation; engagement with and understanding of target audiences; channels, tools and approaches designed to meet particular audiences’ needs; messages tailored to various audiences; media engagement; and measurement of the results and impact of communication activities.  Phase I of the framework also includes proposed skill sets to support a professional external communications program, a communication maturity model and roadmap and guidelines to create a proactive response strategy to issues that have the potential to cause reputational damage.

Within the context of today’s ever-changing data environment, many statistical organizations are in the process of developing or reviewing their strategic objectives and their business models – leading to the articulation or a review of their mission and/or vision statements.  More and more statistical organizations are involved in government-wide data strategy formulation.  For statistical organizations to become strategic partners in the development of a national data strategy and for the successful development of a solid business model or the transition to a new one, the vision must resonate with staff at all levels. Employees become more invested and engaged when they understand and support mission and vision statements of their organizations.

Phase II of the Strategic Communication Framework Project builds on the experience and momentum gained in Phase I and focuses on the development of guidelines and strategic approaches to internal communications; the value of and ways to engage staff so that they can become ambassadors of the organization’s key messages to external partners and stakeholders; and the development of stakeholder engagement strategies.  It also explores, from a communications perspective, statistical organizations’ involvement in the development of national data strategies.

This document, one of two outputs of Phase II, focuses on stakeholder engagement and critical considerations for statistical institutions embarking on national data strategies.

As with Phase I of the Project, all the components of this framework are offered as a guideline and are not intended to be prescriptive.  Statistical institutions are invited to use the two phases of the framework in their entirety, or to use only those elements that help support their business needs.


[1] Recommendations for Promoting, Measuring and Communicating the Value of Official Statistics, http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=51139

 

[2] Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, http://www.unece.org/?id=3207

 

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